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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23236669">Counting Down the Minutes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Confused_Kitten/pseuds/A_Confused_Kitten'>A_Confused_Kitten</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Flash (TV 2014)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Deaf Hartley Rathaway, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Metahuman Leonard Snart, Metahuman Lisa Snart, Metahuman Mick Rory</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:40:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,347</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23236669</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Confused_Kitten/pseuds/A_Confused_Kitten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hartley, because the kid’s glare when Mick had called him Rathaway had managed to impress him, looked more like a ruffled intern than a childhood genius. Hair sticking up in all directions, his glasses skewed to the side, yet infinitely more relaxed than when he’d met the trio of criminals, four days ago.</p><p>Of course, it’s not like they’d had much time for ‘bonding’ with the scientist. Afterall, they had five days until the accelerator was turned on and Central City went boom. </p><p>No pressure.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hartley Rathaway &amp; Leonard Snart, Mick Rory &amp; Leonard Snart &amp; Lisa Snart, Mick Rory/Leonard Snart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>95</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Counting Down the Minutes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He wasn't alone.</p><p>Even with his hearing aids muted, Hartley knew that was true. He could feel eyes watching his every move, but that wasn't new to him. His family was pretentious enough, and it’s not like he’d ever been given the privacy that any other child his age had been.</p><p>So no, it didn’t surprise him to feel a hawk’s gaze upon him, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.</p><p>Still, anyone who wanted his attention would have to compete with the complete and utter silence that enveloped him. His aids were off, not for any particular reason, but simply because Hartley didn’t feel like dealing with them. Afterall, he didn’t feel like dealing with people, so why should he bother listening to them?</p><p><em>Either way</em>, Hartley mused, <em>knowing who's gotten into my apartment would be beneficial.</em></p><p>"You can come out," he called into the quiet, not looking up from the tech he was messing with. "You'll have to excuse me, but I'm not going to put my aids in for the stranger who broke into my house."</p><p>As requested, a man stepped into his field of vision, tall and intimidating. Hartley, however, didn't have a damn to give. "And who might you be?"</p><p>Unsurprisingly, he didn't get an answer.</p><p>The man looked confident, as though breaking and entering was a daily thing for him, like cooking or working might be for someone else. Hartley couldn't<em> hear </em>him speak, but the man made his point clear. "Tell me about the Particle Accelerator."</p><p>And his mind panicked because no<em>, </em>no<em>, no </em>that led to consequences he refused to even <em>think</em> about. "I can't." He ground out, forcing himself to meet the man's blue gaze.</p><p>Because if Wells found out he said something? Oh, if Wells found out Hartley would be dead before he could say a word.</p><p>"Are you sure about that?" The man asked. "Because I have ways of persuasion."</p><p>And Hartley snapped. "Why? What do you want to know about a machine that's bound to fail? Or perhaps you'd like to hear about the bastard who built it? Either way, I have nothing to say about that <em>thing</em>." </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Len watched the scientist with wide eyes. He gave the kid a glance over, taking in the signs of sheer exhaustion and bitterness. </p><p>"It's flawed?" He drawled, because that was new information, and new information could be dangerous and crucial.</p><p>"Yes," the kid answered, sounding as tired as Len felt. "If the accelerator is turned on, there is a high chance of error resulting in an explosion."</p><p>
  <em>Dammit. </em>
</p><p>This was supposed to be a simple operation. Get in, get what he needed, get out. <em>Of course</em>, things were never as simple as they were supposed to be. Not in his line if work. </p><p>He gave Rathaway a look, because if he knew, there was no reason he shouldn't have to the police. Unless… </p><p>"What's keeping you from talking?" Len asked, his voice carefully even. He took a soft step forward, keeping his intentions clear. The last thing he needed was Rathaway spiraling into an anxiety attack. </p><p>Still, Rathaway flinched at even the slightest motion, not bothering to hide it. "The fact that Harrison Wells," he spat the name like it was poison, "could kill me in an instant and not feel a hint of regret." And with those words, Rathaway seemed to shrink, exhaustion overtaking his form as he slumped forward over his work, his eyes tired and simply <em>lost.</em></p><p>It <em>had </em>been a simple plan. But Len knew he couldn't just walk away from this.</p><p>Because this machine was supposed to be good, and Harrison Wells was <em>supposed</em> to be a decent person, but that was proven to be bullshit. A secret exchanged for someone's life, all in an attempt to cause mass damage for a reason unknown.</p><p>And damn it all if Len was about to let someone blow up Central City because he <em>lived</em> here, goddammit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Is there a way to stop it?"</p><p>"<em>What?</em>" Hartley blinked, staring at the unnamed man with wide eyes. <em>Stop it? </em>Now <em>that </em>sounded like a death sentence, and frankly, he didn’t like pissing off Wells to see if it was true.</p><p>The man simply shrugged, <em>clearly </em>out of his mind. “You heard me.”</p><p>“It’s possible,” Hartley admitted, watching the other warily. “<em>If </em>you’re capable of breaking into STAR Labs, bypassing the security, and shutting off the accelerator from the inside.”</p><p>The man smirked. “But you already know all of the information necessary to get in and out of STAR Labs, don’t you, Rathaway?”</p><p>He glared. “<em>Don’t </em>call me that.”</p><p>But the other wasn’t deterred. “I’ll even make you a deal. Come work with me and my partners, even just this once, and we’ll keep you protected from Harrison Wells, and given your <em>predicament, </em>that seems like a fair trade.”</p><p>Well, he had a point. Still, Hartley wasn’t <em>quite </em>sold on the idea of working with a stranger, and that was ignoring the fact that the aforementioned stranger had broken into his house to have this little chat. </p><p>“I don’t even know your name.” He deadpanned, though, he had a feeling the decision had already been made.</p><p>The man grinned, the expression sharp and cold. “Snart. Now, do we have a deal?”</p><p>Hartley thought for one more moment. He <em>wouldn’t </em>let himself be used again. He <em>wouldn’t. </em>But if this man, Snart, could keep his word, then maybe, just maybe, it’d be worth the risk. So, Hartley answered, head held high. “Hartley Rathaway, at your service.”</p><p> Snart’s grin grew feral. “Well then, Hartley Rathaway, Leonard Snart, eager to make your acquaintance.” </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Now, when her brother had told her that he’d secured information on STAR Lab’s most famous endeavor, Lisa hadn’t expected him to return <em>with </em>someone.</p><p> It had always been a rule of sorts that Mick, Len, and herself were on their own. No one else ever lasted for more than a single operation, and no one had ever been brought to one of their nicer safehouses. Since this particular safehouse was two stories, neatly decorated, and in a relatively pleasant location, Lisa was apt to consider this one of their nice ones.</p><p>And yet, there Len was, a familiar looking stranger trailing behind him. </p><p>That was new.</p><p>The young man didn’t exactly <em>look </em>like someone who’d be involved in a petty crime, let alone a full-blown criminal operation. But neither did Lisa, yet here she was, working with her family of thieves. And apparently, this mousy looking fellow.</p><p>“And who might this be, Lenny?” She called, not sure what to expect. Because this really was something strange. “I thought you said you were bringing back information.”</p><p>The man didn’t respond, didn’t even seem to hear her.</p><p>Len, however, just rolled his eyes. “Rathaway, just turn your damn aids on. You can't read lips in a three-sided conversation.”</p><p><em>So that’s why he looked familiar</em>, Lisa realized, finally recognizing the man. Hartley Rathaway, scientific genius and former heir to the Rathaway family. She vaguely remembered hearing about his disownment midway through a heist and feeling bad for about two seconds before she got back to work.</p><p>That would also explain why he never acknowledged her. As far as rumors went, Rathaway was anywhere from having enhanced hearing to being entirely deaf. As if now, the ladder was far more likely.</p><p>But none of that explained why he was here of all places.</p><p>Lisa flashed her brother a look, one with a clear meaning behind it. <em>What's with the change of plans?</em> Because if there was one thing that stayed the same, it was the fact that collecting information was a fairly straightforward thing. There wasn't usually much that could compromise that sort of thing, and it was an understatement to say that this was unexpected.</p><p>“I found someone with more to offer.” Len answered, his words simple despite his tone, the one that meant faked leverage, because it was <em>very </em>clear that Rathaway was here because he wanted to be.</p><p>Well, maybe <em>wanted </em>wasn’t the right word. Needed, perhaps, or even just a case of being at the right place at the right time.</p><p>Either way, it seemed as though they had a fourth member.</p><p>For now, that was.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“The only way to turn it off is from the inside.” The little scientist told them, standing at a table covered in stolen blueprints. "And I can guarantee there's no way to shut it down from outside of STAR Labs, trust me, I spent a week looking for one. And if we get the media involved, Wells, well, he’ll know who’s responsible for the leak.”</p><p>Hartley, because the kid’s glare when Mick had called him Rathaway had managed to impress him, looked more like a ruffled intern than a childhood genius. Hair sticking up in all directions, his glasses skewed to the side, yet infinitely more relaxed than when he’d met the trio of criminals, four days ago.</p><p>Of course, it’s not like they’d had much time for ‘bonding’ with the scientist. Afterall, they had five days until the accelerator was turned on and Central City went <em>boom. </em></p><p>No pressure.</p><p>Five days until the city could get blown to pieces. Yeah, that sounded like a reasonable time frame to plot something out.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Two days.</p><p>They had two days until STAR Labs activated the accelerator, and Len was running out of ideas. Not that he would admit that, of course, that would be far from beneficial.</p><p>Almost every inch of STAR Labs was covered in scrutinizing security, according to both Hartley and Len’s own knowledge of the building, and it was painfully obvious that that would increase tenfold on the day they turned it on.</p><p>After all, it's not every day a new energy source is available for thousands to see. Len thought it was ridiculous, but that hardly mattered. They were on a schedule here, and self-reflection was nowhere on the timetables.</p><p>Finding a way to shut it off wasn’t even a question. Aside from the risk of explosion, Hartley had repeatedly mentioned that no one knew the affects the energy could have on the human body. </p><p>So, in the best case, the accelerator went off without a hitch.</p><p>But in the worst case? At least half of Central could be damaged and there was no saying what could happen to people who faced long time exposure to the energy.</p><p>So yeah, Len considered this pretty damn important.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Today was the last chance.</p><p>The last chance to prevent whatever godforsaken plan Wells, the bastard, had cooked up and he’d worked for without knowing a thing. Hours left until the city might go up in smoke.</p><p>After that? No one knew what would happen. </p><p>The four of them, or really the two of them because he was supposed to talk them through everything and Lisa was keeping an eye on Wells from the crowd, were getting into STAR Labs tonight.</p><p>Hartley wouldn’t exactly call their plan simple, since it involved breaking into one of the best guarded buildings in Central, but they didn’t really have much time to plan something <em>better. </em>If he had more time, Hartley might have been able to contact some of his contacts in Starling, but once again. There wasn’t exactly enough time for that.</p><p>“It’ll be simple,” Lisa told him, winking as the three of them left the safehouse. “We’re the best thieves this side of Starling.”</p><p>If Hartley was being honest, that really didn’t soothe his worries, but he wasn’t going to tell her that.</p><p>Ten minutes later, there was a buzzing in his ear, and Len’s voice came through the coms. “We’re in.”</p><p> </p><p>They failed and lightning <em>crashes </em>over their heads as dark matter escapes into Central City.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He and Mick find his sister a block away from STAR Labs, and her eyes were glowing an unnatural gold, just like the ice following Len’s every step and the heat that melted it as Mick followed.</p><p>“What happened?” She asked, her voice sounding as rough as she looked, with tiny cuts across her face and small tears in her favorite jacket. “The explosion shorted out the comms.”</p><p>“It blew up.” Mick answered, as blunt as he always was.</p><p>Len took it upon himself to try to explain. It wasn’t that Mick wasn’t smart, as people often assumed, his partner simply didn’t care for science like Len did. “Wells had some sort of backup installed.” His expression grew grim. “He knew we would come.”</p><p>His sister paled. “<em>Shit, </em>Hartley.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>One second, he was telling Len how to turn it off, the next, his mind was on <em>fire. </em></p><p>Everything was <em>too loud </em>and <em>too much </em>and he didn’t know <em>why. </em>Even the quietest noises pierced his head, the sound of something collapsing and people running, and <em>dear god </em>he just wanted the <em>quiet </em>back. He missed the comforting bliss of nothing and-</p><p>Someone was screaming. He met blue eyes he didn’t know were there, saw someone mouthing words he couldn’t understand, but he didn’t know what was going on-</p><p>Hartley just wanted the quiet back.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Mick wasn’t sure when Hartley passed out, but it seemed like hours had passed since they’d arrived back at the safe house, greeted by his screams. Dried blood stained his hands and face, and from the look of it, it wasn’t good. </p><p>As the only one who could carry Hartley without moving him around <em>too </em>much, he lifted Hartley off the floor where'd collapsed, surrounded by shattered glass. Even unconscious, the scientist was still curled in on himself, shaking, flinching at the quietest sound. "Damn kid," he whispered, as he walked up the stairs, turning into a room that was soundproof for, well, you don't want to know. "You've really gotten yourself into trouble now."</p><p>With the soft words, he left the room, pulling the door shut behind him. </p><p>Mick had always been fond of taking care of people. The Snart siblings were very well aware of this, and had at some point, gotten used to it. But then Mick had gone and adopted the little scientist Len had brought home. So yeah, he was a bit soft for the kid.</p><p>When he stepped into the living room, Lisa and Len were waiting for him, wearing twin expressions of anger, chilling if you were the one on the receiving end of such a look.</p><p>"The energy affected him somehow," Lisa said darkly, and her narrow eyes flashed gold in a way that could only be described as ‘unnatural.’</p><p>“Actually,” Len drawled, “it seems to have affected all of us.”</p><p>And that made sense, given that Len was <em>freezing, </em>and he was burning up, according to Lisa, who had <em>glowing eyes </em>for God’s sake. As one can expect, none of those had been happening prior to the explosion.</p><p>Lisa grinned; dark smile turned almost predatory. “Let me guess. Lenny got cold powers, Mick, you got fire ones, and Hartley got his hearing even more screwed up.”</p><p>“Or so it seems,” Len replied, a smirk slowly spreading across his face. “You, of course, have glowing eyes, but I presume there’s more to it.”</p><p>Mick had known the Snarts’ for a long time,he was closer to them than almost anyone they’d associated with, and he knew that tone. Those words were positively oozing with it, that familiar confidence lined with the desire to burn something to the ground.</p><p>Mick, for one, would gladly assist.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Two days after the explosion at STAR Labs, Mick somehow set a stolen painting on fire, effectively ruining it.</p><p>Three days after the explosion at STAR Labs, Len froze half the furniture in their safe house, almost all of which needed to be replaced.</p><p>Four days after the explosion at STAR Labs, Lisa turned an apple to gold just by bumping it with her hand.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Seven days after the explosion at STAR Labs, Hartley was still out cold.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>He needs a hospital! </em>Lisa wanted to scream, because nothing they did was working. Two weeks after the explosion, and Hartley had only woken up a handful of times, each one short and painful. The three of them were criminals, and their lacking medical abilities reflected that.</p><p>“Li?” A tired voice stole her from her thoughts, and Hartley blinked tiredly at her. “What time is it?”</p><p>“Not long before midnight,” she answered, as the scientist forced himself into a sitting position. “You shouldn’t push yourself, but I know you’re going to anyways.”</p><p>Hartley flashed her a wry grin. “And you’re right. I need to build something to cancel out some of this noise.” And Lisa supposed that was true. “I’m getting more used to the increased sound, and while it’s still absolutely terrible, it’s going to stay that way until I create a way to cancel it out.”</p><p>“Is there anything we can do to help?” Lisa asked, after a moment of silence. “I know for a fact that we don’t have much in the way of materials here. Let alone having enough supplies to invent advanced. And <em>don’t </em>tell me it’s not advanced, not all of us are geniuses.”</p><p>“How about you focus on your own powers first.” He suggested with a coy smile. “We really don’t need the three of you blowing up the house.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The house, was in fact, not blown up.</p><p>However, the next two months were filled with small fires, rooms covered in snow, and the increasing amount of gold objects.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Hartley was finally done.</p><p>He’d had to scrap almost all of his hearing aids, granted, it didn’t seem like he’d need them anymore, turning them inside out in an attempt to reverse their function. Instead of helping him hear <em>more, </em>they needed to focus the sound on something <em>less. </em></p><p>It wasn’t something that had been done before, which made it both challenging and exciting. Well, at least in his opinion. Len seemed irritated about the scraps and tools littering the room Hartley had been given, but Lisa and Mick had told him otherwise. According to them, Len was more interested in how they worked than he was annoyed about the mess, as long as they worked.</p><p>But that was where the problem was.</p><p>There was only one way to really test them, and that was to spend time in the wandering the city. Something Hartley couldn’t honestly say he was looking forward to, but it was necessary.</p><p>“Coming, kid? We don’t have all day!” Len shouted from the door, as though Hartley didn’t know it was total bullshit.</p><p>“Of course! We can’t have you and Mick burning down anything or something along those lines.”</p><p>“Torch something once and no one will let you forget it.” Hartley heard Mick say down the stairs, and he couldn’t help the laugh that escaped from him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There’s something oddly relieving about watching Hartley doing something as simple as walking through a crowded street.</p><p>Len watched the scientist with a small smile, one that his partner didn’t miss.</p><p>“So, you’re protective of our little scientist, Len?” Phrased as a question, but an obvious statement. If there was anyone that would notice his protective streak, Len knew it would be Mick. “I wasn’t aware we were looking into adoption.”</p><p>“Hart is twenty-four years old, he’s not exactly a kid we picked up on the streets.”</p><p>Mick simply raised a brow. “We’ve been married for five years. You can’t lie to me, Snart.”</p><p>“Worth a try.”</p><p>“What are you planning?” Mick said, cutting Len off before he could respond. “And don’t tell me you’re not planning something; I know that look. Last time you smiled like that, you almost killed someone.”</p><p>Well, Mick wasn’t <em>wrong </em>per say.</p><p>Sure, everyone had their faults. Len’s just happened to be being overprotective. Though, he had his reasons. Lisa, for one, was strong in her own right, but she was still his little sister, and as for Hartley, well, Len wasn’t exactly clueless about the news headlines that had followed their resident scientist around.</p><p>“Let’s just say I have a newfound vendetta against one Harrison Wells.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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